ADT Security vs. Vivint Smart Home

Vivint home security and ADT are both professionally installed and monitored, but Vivint’s approach to contracts and innovative equipment puts it lightyears ahead of ADT.

Vivint’s smart home and home security equipment are designed in-house so the company can distribute new and innovative products. Both companies offer equipment for home automation and security, but you get more for your money with Vivint Smart Home.

Learn more as we put Vivint Smart Home and ADT Home Security head to head on prices, equipment, policies and more in this review.

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Vivint offers better pricing than ADT and leads the way with smart home technology, offering products that other home security companies haven't even thought of yet—like the Vivint Car Guard. And because Vivint designs, manufactures, and monitors all of its equipment in-house, everything works together seamlessly. 

Learn more in our full Vivint Smart Home Security review.

Vivint outpaces ADT in just about everything. Still, there's one bragging right that always sets ADT apart: a 140-year track record. If reputation puts you at ease more than anything, go with ADT. You'll also get slightly better cancellation terms and more generous guarantees.

Learn more in our full ADT Home Security review. 

Similarities between ADT and Vivint mostly have to do with its professional installation and monitoring services.

• Professional installation: Both require professional installation and charge a fee for that service. Expect a $49 flat fee for Vivint installation. ADT installation costs start at $99 for security equipment and cameras then go up to $199 when you add smart home equipment.
• Custom equipment packages: Neither has prepackaged equipment options. Instead, an installer will tell you during the security consultation what you need. With Vivint, you can pay for equipment up front or roll the cost into your monthly monitoring fee. ADT includes the price of leasing equipment in its monthly monitoring price.
• Professional monitoring: When something triggers the alarm, a monitoring professional will contact police or emergency services for you. Vivint and ADT both offer monitoring for smoke alarms, carbon monoxide detectors, and video. ADT stands out with nine redundant monitoring centers and its longstanding experience.

Vivint and ADT both charge a premium but approach pricing differently. With Vivint, your monthly fee will be lower than it would be with ADT. And even Vivint's most basic packages include remote access to your security system through the Vivint app plus a cellular connection, smoke and CO monitoring, and two-way voice features.

Like Vivint, ADT also offers live video, a mobile app, and home automation, but you’ll pay $62.99 a month for these features and to lease your equipment.

It will cost you if you want to avoid a Vivint contract—you can pay around $1,000 for equipment up front. But unlike ADT, you own your Vivint equipment outright so you’re not paying all that money for equipment you’ll have to give back later.

Both companies charge a premium for video. Vivint’s video monitoring and storage plan starts at $44.99 for one camera. Each additional camera costs $5 more a month and tops out at six cameras or $69.99 a month. Still, ADT’s video plans start at $58.99 a month.

Learn more in our Vivint cost and ADT cost guides.

For those who can pay for their equipment up front, Vivint wins for contract flexibility. If you don't finance your Vivint equipment, you can pay for monitoring month by month, making it a great option if you don't want to be stuck with a long-term contract.

But keep in mind that if you do finance the equipment, you'll be locked into a monitoring contract that can last for 3.5 or 5 years, depending on how quickly you want to pay off your equipment.

No matter what kind of ADT system you choose, you'll have to sign a monitoring contract with ADT before your system is installed. Contracts last a minimum of three years, and you'll also have to pay for the cost of leasing the equipment up front.

ADT stands out from Vivint for its customer guarantees, more lenient cancellation policy, and around-the-clock customer service backed by more than 140 years of experience. Its good customer reviews and many loyal long-term customers are solid indications that ADT stands by its products.

ADT's six-month money-back guarantee means that if a technical product issue is identified within six months after you sign the contract, you'll receive a full refund, including monitoring fees.

Nobody really wins for ADT or Vivint cancellation terms, though (including you). ADT charges 75% of the remaining contract terms for cancellations. That’s a little more generous than Vivint, which requires you pay back 100% of the remaining balance on your contract if you have one.

Learn more about what to expect in our Vivint cancellation and ADT cancellation guides.

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It takes only one look at Vivint’s offerings to see that Vivint is all about smart home automation . The company earned top marks on the Best Home Security Systems and the Best Smart Home Security Systems because of its focus on making security smarter with clever features on its cutting-edge devices. And you get all that smart home integration from Vivint for less each month than you would with ADT.

Vivint devices all use Z-Wave technology so they're compatible with a wide variety of other smart products on the market, including Amazon Echo, Nest®, Google Home, and doorbell cameras.

If you're looking for cheaper prices, flexible financing, and shorter contract options, Vivint comes out on top in this face-off.

• Winner: Vivint provides proprietary smart devices with reliable monitoring for a lower price. With Vivint you'll own the equipment, pay less each month, and have the option to go contract-free.
• Second place: We love ADT's strong reputation but it ultimately prices a lot of folks out. That said, if you're ready to settle into a long-term relationship with a company with a great track record, ADT might be the better choice.

Still undecided? Read our full Vivint and ADT reviews to learn more.

• Vivint FAQ
• ADT FAQ
• Alternatives to Vivint
• Home Security Alternatives to ADT
• Vivint Customer Service